Concrete-mixer.



C. F. HETHERINGTON.

CONCRETE MIXER.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. I5. 191s.

MMM gw@ A TTRNE V I COLUMBIA PLANOQRAPH CO..WASHKNUTDP{. DC. n

@TED SITE@ PATENT @FFIQEQ CARL F. HETHER-INGTON, OF INDIANAPOLIS,INDIANA.

CONCRETE-MIXER.

Application filed February 15, 1915.

T 0 all 'whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CARL F. HETHERING* TON, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Indianapolis, in the county of Marion and State ofIndiana, have invented a new and useful Concrete-Mixer, of which thefollowing is a specication.

My invention relates to concrete mixers, and especially to the deliverymechanism therefor.

Considerable diliiculty has been experienced with the delivery mechanismof concrete mixers, that the material may be withdrawn from the mixer asrequired without having the withdrawing or delivery mechanism interferewith the operation of the mixer or be interfered with thereby.

It is the object of my present invention to overcome this trouble, andat the same time to provide a delivery mechanism by which when desiredone or more ingredients, such as the hot asphalt which is used in makingbituminous concrete, may be fed into the mixer, and the mixture may bethrown backa ward along the mixer when it reaches the delivery endthereof but is not to be withdrawn.

In carrying out my invention, I provide a rotatable mixing drum, of anyusual type, and project approximately axially into one end thereof adelivery chute which is supported by a cantaliver bearing structureentirely outside of the drum so that the chute may be turned about itsaxis to bring its receiving mouth upward or downward as required and itsdelivery mouth downward or upward to correspond, provide a conveyer insuch delivery chute for feeding material in either direction along it,either for conveying the mixture out of the mixer or for conveyingasphalt into the mixer, and make the wall of that part of the deliverychute which projects into the mixer sloping so that the receiving end ofsaid delivery chute acts to thro-w the material backward along the drumfor further mixing when the receiving mouth of the chute is downward andto carry it to the eonveyer when such receiving mouth is upward.

rIhe accompanying drawing illustrates my invention.

The single figure of this drawing is a vertical longitudinal sectionthrough a hot concrete mixer and discharge mechanism embodying myinvention, part of the mixing Specicaton of Letters Patent.

Patented l? an. 11, 1316.

Serial No. 8,178.

drum and its driving mechanism being in elevation.

The frame 10 of the machine may be mounted on suitable wheels 11, and init is supported a mixing drum 12 of any suitable type, convenientlyarranged to be rotated about a horizontal axis and being supported oncarrying rollers 13 which cooperate with tracks 14- on the drum. @ne endor both ends of the drum are provided with gear teeth 15 which mesh witha pinion 1G on a driving shaft l?, by which the drum is rotated aboutits horizontal axis. A charging chute 19 projects slantingly into thedrum 12 from one'end thereof, for conveying the materials to be mixedinto the drum.

The construction so far described is a usual one.

rl`he wall l2 of the drum 12 is provided with an axial opening 20,through which proyects an axial delivery chute 21. At its end within thedrum 12 this delivery chute is provided with a receiving mouth which isuppermost when the delivery chute is in delivering position and with asloping end wall 23 which when such mouth 22 is uppermost carries thematerial received thereoy to the body of such chute. At its outer endthe delivery chute is provided with a delivery mouth 25 which isdiametrically opposite the receiving mouth 22 so that it is downwardwhen such receiving mouth is upward, though the two mouths arelongitudinally separated so that the delivery mouth is outside of thedrum and the re ceiving mouth within it.

The delivery chute is mounted for rotation about the axis of the drum tobring the receiving mouth 22 either upward or downward (such mouth beingshown downward in dotted lines), the delivery mouth correspondinglybeing brought to the lower and upper sides of the chute respectively.lWhen the receiving mouth 22 of the delivery chute is downward, the wall23 is in the position shown in dotted lines and acts to throw backwardalong the drum 12 the material carried to the delivery end of such drumby the flights 26 and raised and dropped upon the inwardly projectingend of the delivery chute by the lifting blades 27 with which theinterior of the drum is provided, thus producing a further mixing of thematerial within the drum when the delivery chute is not in position fordelivery. The

delivery chute is in part supported for this rotation by inter-engagingslide rings 27 and 23 fixed on the chute 21 and on the end members 10 ofthe frame 10 respectively, the ring 28 being provided with a latch 29for enga ging with notches 30 in the ring 27 to hold the chute in eitherone of its two positions. The outer end oi the chute 21 is provided witha closing plate 31 which is provided with a long bearing 32 for a hollowshaft or sleeve 33 which extends axially along the chute 21 and projectsinwardly beyond it, the outer end of this hollow7 shaft or sleeveiitting over and being iixed to a shaft 34 which is supported in abearing 35 carried by a sub-trame 36 depending from the projecting upperbars 10 of the frame 10. The shaft 34 is provided with a sprocket wheel37 on the opposite side of the bearing 35 from the sleeve 33, the sleeve33 and sprocket wheel 37 bearing against the ends of the bearing toposition the shaft- 33 and associated parts axially. The projectingupper bars 10, the subframe 3G, the bearing 35, the shaft 34, thehollow7 shaft or sleeve 33, and the bearing 32 cooperate with the rings27 and 23 to furnish the rotatable support for the delivery chute 21,providing a cantaliver arrangement which is totally outside of the drum12 but which furnishes a iirm support for the chute while at the sametime allowing it to be rotated about its axis.

As considerable power is sometimes required for rotating the deliverychute 21, 1 preferably provide power means for obtaining this rotation.To this end, the upper bars 10 of the traine lO support bearings 40 fora countershaft 41, on which is fixed a pinion 42 which meshes with oneset of the gear teeth 15. r1`he countershaft 41 has loosely mountedthereon a sprocket pinion 44 which may be clutched to the countershaftby a sliding clutch member 45 operable by a lever 46, the sprocketpinion 44 being connected by a chain 47 to a sprocket wheel 48 fixed onthe end plate 31 of the delivery chute 21. By throwing in the clutch 45,the delivery chute 21 may be turned to bring its receiving mouth eitherupward or downward and its delivery mouth either downward or upward.

That part of the hollow shaft or sleeve 33 which is within the deliverychute 21 is provided with a suitable conveyer, such as a worm conveyer50, for conveying material along such chute. A hand wheel 51 is mountedon the hollow shaft or sleeve 33 for operating this worm by hand, sothat when the mouth 25 is upward and the mouth 22 downward the desiredingredient or ingredients, such as hot liquid asphalt, may be pouredinto the mouth 25 and fed into the drum 12 through the delivery chute 2land mouth 22 of such chute by proper rotation of the worin by the handwheel 51. The worin 50 may also be operated by power, the pinion 37being connected by a chain 55 to a sprocket wheel 5G loosely mounted onthe countershaft 41 but connectible thereto by a clutch member 57operable by a lever 58. TWhen the clutch 57 is thrown in, the worm 50 isoperated to convey materials along' the delivery chute toward thedelivery mouth 25, and so acts when such delivery mouth 25 is downwardand the receiving mouth 22 of the chute is upward.

I claim as my invention:

1. In combination, a mixing drum, a delivery chute projecting into theend of said drum, a cantaliv-er support for said delivery chute locatedentirely outside of said drum and in which said delivery chute isrotatably mounted to swing about an axis which extends along thepassageway of the chute, said delivery chute having a receiving mouthwithin the drum which may be brought either to the upper or lower sideof the chute by such rotation and with a sloping end wall within thedrum which when such receiving mouth is downward throws materialbackward along the drum and with a delivery mouth outside of said drumand a rotary conveyer mounted in said chute and rotated on the axisabout which the chute is rotatable.

2. ln combination, a mixing drum, adelivery chute projecting into theend of said drum, a cantaliver support for said delivery chute locatedentirely outside of said drum and in which said delivery chute ismounted to swing about an axis which extends along the passageway of thechute, and a. rotary conveyer mounted in said chute and rotatable on theaxis about which the chute is rotatable.

3. ln combination, a mixing drum, a delivery chute projecting into theend of said drum, a cantaliver support for said delivery chute locatedentirely outside of said drum and in which said delivery chute isrotatably mounted to swing about an axis which extends along thepassageway of the chute, said delivery chute having a receiving mouthtithin the drum which may be brought either to the upper or lower sideof the chute by suoli rotation and with a delivery mouth outside of saiddrum and a rotary conveyer' mounted in said chute and rotated on theaxis about which the chute is rotatable. Y

4. In combination, a rotatable mixing drum, a delivery chut-e projectinginto the end of said drum, a cantaliver support for said delivery chutelocated entirely outside of said drum and in which said delivery chuteis rotatably mounted to swing about an axis which extends along thepassage- Way of the chute, said delivery chute having a receiving mouthwithin the drum which may be brought either to the upper or lower sideof the chute by such rotation and with a slo-ping end wall within thedrum which when such receiving mouth is downward throws materialbackward along the drum and with a delivery mouth outside of said drum,and common means for rotating said chute and said' drum at will.

5. In combination, la rotatable mixing drum, a delivery chute projectinginto the end of said drum, a cantaliver support for said delivery chutelocated entirely outside of said drum and in which said delivery chuteis rotatably mounted to swing about an axis which extends along thepassageway of the chute, said delivery chute having a receiving mouthwithin the drum which may be brought either to the upper or lower sideof the chute by such rotation and with a delivery mouth outside of saiddrum, and means for drivingly connecting said chute to the drum at willto produce rotation of said chute about its axis.

G. In combination, a mixing drum, a delivery chute projecting into theend of Said drum, a cantaliver support for said delivery chute locatedentirely outside of said drum and in which said chute is mounted toswing about an axis which extends along the passageway of the chute, anda rotary conveyer within said chute, said rotary conveyer beingrotatable in either direction to convey material in either directionalong said chute.

7. In combination, a rotatable mixing drum, a delivery chute projectinginto the end of said drum, a cantaliver support for said delivery chutelocated entirely outside of said drum and in which said chute is mountedto swing about an axis which extends along the passageway of the chute,a rotary conveyer within said chute, said rotary conveyer b-eingrotatable in either direction to convey material in either directionalong said chute, and means for rotating said conveyer at will in onedirection from the rotation of the drum.

8. In combination, a mixing drum, a delivery chute projecting into theend of said drum, a cantaliver support for said delivery chute locatedentirely outside of said drum and in which said delivery chute isrotatably mounted to swing about an axis which extends along thepassageway of the chute, said delivery chute having a receiving mouthwithin the drum which may be brought either to the upper or lower sideof the chute by such rotation and with a delivery mouth outside of saiddrum, and latching means for holding said chute with its receiving moutheither upward or downward.

9. In combination, a frame, a mixing drum mounted therein, a deliverychute projecting into said drum from one end thereof, supporting meanscarried by said frame and located between the ends of said chute outsideof said drum for furnishing part of the support for said chute, saidsupporting means permitting the chute to be rotated and said chute beingprovided at its inner end with a receiving mouth which is brought eitherupward or downward by such rotation, and the passageway of said chuteextending substantially along its axis of rotation, a shaft extendingaxially of said chute, bearings for said shaft carried by said framebeyond the outer end of said chute and by said chute, whereby acantaliver supporting structure for said chute is provided, and aconveyer on said shaft within said chute for conveying material alongsaid chute.

l0. In combination, a frame, a mixing drum mounted therein, a deliverychute proecting into said drum from one end thereof, supporting meanscarried by said frame and located between the ends of said chute outsideof said drum for furnishing part of the sul port for said chute, a shaftextending axially of said chute, the passageway of said chute extendingsubstantially along the axis of said shaft, bearings for said shaftcarried by said frame beyond the outer end of said chute and by saidchute, whereby a cantaliver supporting structure for said chute isprovided, and a conveyerl on said shaft within said chute for conveyingmaterial along said chute.

ll. In combination, a frame, a mixing drum mounted therein, a deliverychute proj ecting into said drum from one end thereof, supporting meanscarried by said frame and located between the ends of said chute outsideof said drum for furnishing part of the support for said chute, saidsupporting means permitting the chute to be rotated and said chute beingprovided at its inner end with a receiving mouth which is brought eitherupward or downward by such rotation, a shaft extending axially of saidchute, bearings for said shaft carried by said frame beyond the outerend of said chute and by said chute, whereby a cantaliver supportingstructure for said chute is provided.

l2. In combination, a frame, a mixing drum mounted therein, a deliverychute projecting into said drum from one end thereof, supporting meanscarried by said frame and located between the ends of said chute outsideof said drum for furnishing part of the support for said chute, a shaftextending axially of said chute, bearings for said shaft carried by saidframe beyond the outer end of said chute and by said chute, whereby acantaliver supporting structure for said chute is provided.

13. In combination, a rotatable mixing drum, a delivery chute projectinginto the end of said drum, a cantaliver support for said delivery chutelocated entirely outside of said drum and in which said delivery chuteis mounted to swing about an axis which extends along the passageway or'the chute, and means for drivingly connecting said chute at will to thedrum to produce rotation of the chute.

14. In combination, a frame, a mixing drum mounted therein, a deliverychute projecting into said drum from one end thereof, supporting meanscarried by said frame and located between the ends of said chute outsideof said drum for furnishing part of the support for said chute, saidsupporting means permitting the chute to be rotated and said chute beingprovided at its inner end with a receiving mouth which is brought eitherupward or downward by such rotation, and the passageway of said chuteextending substantially along its axis ot rotation, a shaft extendingaxially of said chute, bearings for said shaft carried by said framebeyond the outer end of said chute and by said chute, whereby acantaliver supporting structure for Said chute is provided, a conveyeron said shaft within said chute for conveying material along said chute,and common means located at one end of the drum for selectivelyoperating either said chute or said conveyor.

l5. In combination, a mixing drum, a

delivery chute projecting into the end of the drum and mounted to rotateon an axis along which the passageway of the chute extends, a conveyermounted in said chute and rotatable on the same axis, said chute beingprovided with a lateral opening within the drum and a substantiallyldiametrically opposite lateral opening outside of the drum, and commonmeans Jfor selectively rotating either said chute or said conveyer.

16. In combination, a rotatable mixing drum, a delivery chute projectinginto the end of the drum and mounted to rotate on an axis along whichthepassageway of the chute extends, a conveyer mounted in said chute androtatable on the same axis, said chute being provided with a lateralopening within the drum and a substantially diametrically oppositelateral opening outside the drum, and means for selectively drivinglyconnecting either said chute or said conveyer to the drum to producerotation of said chute or conveyer.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand at Indianapolis,Indiana, this second day of February, A. D. one thousand nine hundredand fifteen.

CARL F. HETHERINGTON.

Vitnesses l JosEPHiNE GASPER, LOUISE BENNETT.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G.

